Stretcher



. Jan. 7, 1941. D, MacKENZlE STRETCHER Filed Feb. 2a, 1938 2 'Shets-Sheef 1 Inuatrt-u I" II- MHBKBNZIE Jam-7,1941. nMa K NziE 2,228,012

-STRETCHER Filed Feb. 2-8; 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 111m: ntnr MHIIKBNZIB Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 Claim.

My intention relates to improvements in stretchers and particularly to those of the emergency type which are used to convey the patient from the place where injury is incurred to a first 6 aid station, and an object of my invention is to provide means adapted to prevent longitudinal sliding movement of the patient carried on the stretcher when such stretcher is tilted longitudinally.

A further object of my invention is to make such means longitudinally adjustable upon the stretcher in order to obviate the necessity of moving the patient into the correct position.

Yet another object of my invention is to make such means capable of easy and quick adjustment in order that no delay in transition of the patient may be incurred.

With the above and other objects in view which will hereinafter appear my, invention consists, in its preferred embodiment, of the construction and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a stretcher equipped with my device and showing it in the inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a stretcher showing my device in the operative position, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view broken away intermediately of its width, taken on line 3-3 Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

In the drawings, l is the stretcher frame preferably of tubular steel construction and comprising side and end rails 2 and 3 respectively, 4 are transversely disposed members attached at their ends to the side rails 2 and adapted to support longitudinally disposed slat members 5 upon which the patient is placed.

Near one of the ends of the stretcher, I provide a longitudinally and angularly adjustable member 6 transversely disposed between the side rails 2 and hereinafter referred to as a leg frame, such frame comprising rigid side rails 1, an outer rigid end rail 8, and a preferably flexible inner end rail 9, the whole being covered by canvas or similar material Ill.

The flexible rail member 9 is preferably disposed on the side rails l in such a manner as to leave free ends ll extending therefrom, such ends being pivotally attached by bolts l2 extending through orifices l3, to the members M which are slidably disposed upon the side rails 2. Locking screws I5 extending into threaded orifices IS in the members M are adapted to hold the leg frame 6 from longitudinal movement when such frame is in use.

In order to support the frame in an angular position, I provide snap-hooks or similar means I1 near the outer ends of the side rails 1 of leg frame 6, such hooks being adapted to register with the links of chains l8 secured to the side rails 2 of the stretcher frame.

When it is found necessary to use my device, as when traversing a sharply inclined stairway, the locking screws l5 are first loosened and the leg frame 6 moved longitudinally until the outer frame member 8 lies beneath the patients knees, after which the screws I5 are tightened to prevent further longitudinal movement of the frame. The frame may then be raised angularly to any desired position, depending upon the sharpness of the slope, when it may be secured by attaching the snap-hooks I! to the necessary links of the chain l8, thus supporting the patients thighs and buttocks thereon. If then the slope is traversed, the stretcher may be tilted longitudinally with no fear of the patient slipping since such patient will be in a seated position upon the frame 6 and with his or her torso in a semi-recumbent position.

By use of my device the necessity for placing the patient upon a chair when traversing a particularly steep slope is obviated as is also the necessity of using straps as is usually the case, thus by my device I prevent any unnecessary movement or pressure upon any fractures or contusions the patient may have suffered and at the same time provide a quick, easily adjusted and positive method of supporting the patient.

It will, of course, be understood that my construction may be varied to embrace such various modifications of my device as may lie within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A; stretcher comprising a substantially rectangular frame, the side members of which constitute side rails, a depressed stretcher bottom disposed in the frame and secured to the side rails, a flap member longitudinally adjustably hinged at one end to the side rails intermediately of the length thereof and its free end being directed towards the bottom end of the stretcher, said flap member normally adapted to be in the plane of the frame, and means for adjustably holding the flap member in angular relation to the plane of the frame whereby it constitutes a seat for the patient upon the stretcher being longitudinally tilted.

III

DONALD MACKENZIE. 

